Handbook

At Montclaire, we have implemented PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Support). PBIS is a framework to promote and maximize academic achievement and behavioral competence. It is a school-wide strategy for helping all students achieve important social and learning goals. We know that when good behavior and good teaching come together, our students will excel in their learning. As part of the PBIS framework, we have established clear rules for the behaviors we expect in all areas of our school. We will explicitly teach these expectations to the students and reteach throughout the school year. Our staff will verbally acknowledge students’ appropriate behaviors. For more information about PBIS, please see the Montclaire PBIS Comprehensive Plan.

Teachers, staff and peers recognize students for their achievements through our Tiger Pride recognition system. Pride Paws, Positive Office Referrals and our Student of the Month Program are about encouraging students to show their A, B, C’s! A - Acting Responsibly, B - Behaving Respectfully and C - Caring for others.

Fifth grade students patrol the playground at recess and lunch to look for good behavior from students that adults may not otherwise see. They reward students with Cornerstone Compliments that get to go home. The fifth graders also pair up with one grade level per month and do buddy activities that correlate with the Cornerstone lessons that the students receive every month.

This consists of a group of fourth and fifth grade students who organize, promote and participate in several service projects throughout the school year. In the fall, students prepare and work organizing the Holiday Toy drive. In the spring, a different group of students prepare and organize the 2nd Harvest Food Drive.

Acting Responsibly - Behaving Respectfully - Caring for Others

All Montclaire students are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that is courteous, respectful, and responsible. Behaving appropriately is an essential aspect of learning. At Montclaire, policies and programs are in place to promote good citizenship and a positive, safe learning environment. We believe that all students can behave appropriately at school if they know what’s expected of them.

We want to encourage students to make appropriate choices and have positive relationships with their peers and adults. Montclaire strives to foster a school atmosphere that is conducive to learning and growing. The purpose of behavior consequences is for students to learn from their experiences and grow in character and social responsibility. Discipline consequences may also be necessary to maintain the safety and well being of everyone. Successful disciplinary practices require the understanding and support of the entire school community. Classroom teachers will work directly with students/parents on an action/behavior plan to improve behavior.

Bullying involves a real or perceived imbalance of power, with the more powerful child or group bothering those who are less powerful. Bullying may be physical (hitting, kicking, spitting, pushing), verbal (taunting, malicious teasing, name calling, threatening), or psychological (spreading rumors, manipulating social relationships, or promoting social exclusion, extortion, or intimidation). Bullying is absolutely not tolerated and any child experiencing it should report it immediately to their classroom teacher. An action plan will be put in place to curb the behavior.

For more information about our Discipline Plan at Montclaire and see our Discipline Flow Chart, please see our PBIS Comprehensive Plan.

Parents are encouraged to schedule appointments after the school day, or on Saturdays, to avoid disruption to their student’s learning. If they have an appointment during the school day, they must be signed out by the parent at the school office.

School begins at 8:30am and students may not arrive before 8:15am. Students are not permitted to leave the school grounds after they arrive unless checked out by an adult in the office. Students are to go home immediately after dismissal from school as there is no supervision on the campus after school is dismissed. K-3 students staying on campus to wait for a 4-5 grade sibling and/or friend must be accompanied by an adult and need to either be waiting at the covered lunch tables or on the Big Blue play structure. There is still learning going on in the 4th and 5th grade classrooms (Rooms 14-19) and students on the blacktop and field are a distraction so please be sure they are only in one of those two spaces and with an adult. We appreciate your assistance in keeping the campus quiet while the upper graders are learning.

Each day a student is absent, please complete the Absence/Tardy form in ParentSquare (preferred) or by the Montclaire Absence Reporting Line at (650) 967-9388 ext. 6 by 8:30am. This is a 24-hour telephone number. Absences must be reported each day; otherwise the absences will be unexcused. Excused absences are those related to: illness or injury (if accompanied by a medical note), quarantine, funerals or medical/dental appointments (must bring medical/dental note when arriving to school late). All other absences are defined by the State as unexcused. This includes family travel and vacations.

Delay & Tardy

Students arriving after the 8:30am bell, for any reason, must report to the office for a delay slip. Students arriving after 9:00am are considered tardy. If a student arrives at school late from a medical/dental appointment, a doctor’s note is required for the missed time to be considered excused.

Excessive delays will result in the following:

• 5 delays in a school year will result in a Late Letter 
• delays in a school year will result in a second Late Letter and a meeting with the Principal
• 12 delays in a school year will result in a School Attendance Review Board (S.A.R.B.) meeting

Excessive tardies or unexcused absences will result in the following:

• 3 tardies or unexcused absences in a school year will result in a Truancy Letter
• 4 tardies or unexcused absences in a school year will result in a second Truancy Letter and a meeting with the Principal
• 6 tardies or unexcused absences in a school year will result in a School Attendance Review Board (S.A.R.B.) meeting.

This year's Back to School Night is scheduled for August 29, 2024.  During this event, parents are provided with an opportunity to meet their children's teachers and to hear about their school program. Homework policies, classroom standards and routines are addressed. This night is for parents only; students are invited to Open House in the spring.

To protect student privacy, model giving our full attention, and maintain a learning environment that is free of distractions, we ask that all adults keep their phones put away while on campus. Please abide by this request. It's important to us. Of course, if you have an immediate need, please step away from students to use your phone.

We also enforce that students put away their phones and smartwatches while at school. If your child needs an exception to this rule for a medical or other unique reason, please inform the teacher and me (if you haven't already). The CUSD policy about this from the Opening Day packet is below.

CUSD Policy: Personal Technology Devices Students may possess technology devices including cellular phones, smart watches (may be on in airplane mode) and tablets, under specific conditions. Personal technology devices must be turned off during the school day, including recess, passing periods, brunch, and lunch (prohibition on ringing or vibrating) and must be kept in the student’s purse or backpack at all times. Personal technology devices may be used for a valid instructional or other school-related purpose as determined by the teacher or other District employee. Any device with camera, video, or voice recording function shall not be used in any manner which infringes on the privacy rights of any other person. Failure to abide by this policy may result in the personal technology device being confiscated and the loss of personal technology devices possession privileges at the discretion of the site administrator. 

District policy states you must notify the district office within 10 days of changes in address, work or home telephone number, or emergency contacts. This enables the school to keep its emergency records up to date.

Classroom celebrations held during the school day involving food will be limited to once a month and must meet nutritional requirements. Parents must get prior approval from the teacher before bringing food for these occasions.

• If parents and students want others to share in their birthday celebrations by providing something for students, they may provide non-edible items ONLY, such as pencils or stickers. Invitations and thank yous for birthdays should NOT be passed out at school.
• Students are not allowed to share food with other students due to food allergies and dietary restrictions.

The Cupertino Union School District dress code standards are in place to promote a positive and safe learning environment for students. We ask that parents monitor their child’s choices each morning. As a general rule, students are expected to wear clothing that is appropriate, clean, and does not offend others.

In addition, the following guidelines shall apply to all regular school activities:

1. Shoes must be worn at all times.
2. Clothing, jewelry and personal items (backpacks, fanny packs, gym bags, water bottles etc.) shall be free of writing, pictures or any other insignia which are crude, vulgar, profane, etc.
3. Clothes shall be sufficient to conceal undergarments at all times. See-through fabrics, halter tops, off-the-shoulder or low-cut tops, bare midriffs, and skirts or shorts shorter than mid-thigh are prohibited.

Students also need to dress in a manner that allows them to successfully participate in physical education activities. Appropriate dress for special events will be communicated to parents and students by the school.

As part of a student’s education, homework is important for learning good work habits, responsibility, and study skills. We believe homework should be defined as “an assignment related to class work that will be turned in at a specific time”. Some examples include: book reports, studying for spelling tests, preparation for oral reports, completion of work not finished in class, extra practice in a skill area, studying for a test, and writing assignments.

Homework expectations may differ as to types of homework activities and amount of time for each grade level. Homework is generally limited to Monday through Thursday and is not assigned over the major holiday breaks; with the exception of long-term projects (i.e. book reports).

It is important that our students follow good health practices at all times and be kept at home when they are ill. Students should not be in school when they are experiencing one or more of the following symptoms:

• Nausea/vomiting or diarrhea (must remain at home until they are symptom free for 24 hours)
• Severe headache
• Continuous coughing or sneezing
• Evidence of a communicable illness/disease such as a rash, swelling or unusual sore throat. Note: If a student has a rash, they cannot be at school unless we have a doctor’s note specifying that the rash is non-contagious.
• A temperature of 100 degrees or higher (must remain at home until they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of a fever reducer such as Tylenol)

If a student is sent home from school for feeling ill, they may not return that day.

Excessive illnesses will result in the following:

• 7 non-verified illness days in a school year will result in an Illness Letter

Students can accumulate up to 6 non-verified illness days in a school year. Upon reaching 7 illness days, a letter is sent home notifying parents that any additional absences during the school year due to illness must be verified by your student’s healthcare provider. Therefore, if your student is sick during the school year and visits a doctor, please bring in a doctor’s note. This will help limit the number of non-verified illness days for your student.

Illness/disease reporting

Communicable illness/disease is one of the leading causes of childhood morbidity and school absence. If your child’s physician or the County Public Health Department has verified that your child has a communicable disease, you must inform the school staff so that we can send home potential exposure notices to the class. This will assist us with preventing the spread of illness or infection to other students and staff members. Communicable illnesses include but are not limited to the following:

Students injured while at school will first be inspected by the teacher, who will either keep the student under observation in the classroom or for a more serious injury, send the student to the office for first aid. The appropriate first aid will be performed by office staff, who are first aid certified.

Parents will be contacted and asked to come for the child, if exhibiting the following:

• Temperature 100 degrees or above, nausea/vomiting or diarrhea, evidence of a communicable disease.
• Complaints from the child of feeling ill when the child was home the day before or felt ill before coming to school.
• Any severe accident, including a deep cut, possible fracture or dislocation, or any accident requiring immediate medical attention.
• No child is sent home until the parent is contacted and transportation arranged. Transportation is the responsibility of the parent.

Students who have lost or damaged library or textbooks will be required to pay for the books. A student who has lost or damaged a library book will not be allowed to borrow additional library books until the book is paid for.

The lost and found is located outside of the playground building next to the bathrooms and water fountain. All articles found on the school grounds will be placed there. Please check the lost and found regularly if your child is missing clothing, lunch boxes, or other such items. Unclaimed articles will be donated to charity once a month.

Breaks/Snack and hot lunch (includes milk) is available to students daily free of cost. Students enter their Student ID number when going through the lunch line. 

** Parents dropping off bag lunches after the start of school should place these on the counter in the main hallway by the front door. Please inform your student ahead of time to look for their lunch on the counter.

Forgotten Lunches

The office will not interrupt classroom instruction time to inform students that their forgotten lunch has been dropped off; remind your student to check the counter in the main hallway by the front door if they ever forget their lunch. If it’s not there they can come to the office and call home.

Medication, whether prescription or non-prescription, may only be administered at school with written permission from the treating physician and the parent. Medical authorization forms are available in the school office. Students are not allowed to carry medication, including inhalers, cough drops, cough medicine, vitamins, etc, in their pockets or backpacks.

MPTO is a non-profit organization that raises money to improve the quality of education and to help provide a well-rounded curriculum for our children.

Noon duty supervision is provided on site during lunch recess periods. There are also paid positions available.

Open House is held in the spring. It provides an opportunity for both parents and students to visit the classroom together, talk with the teacher, and view some of the work students have completed at school. The Open House date is scheduled for May 1st, 2025 .

On rainy days, the halls and classrooms are opened at 8:15 am. All activities, including lunch and recess, are held inside. There is continuous supervision by the staff and volunteers.

If you know in advance that your student(s) will be absent from school for one or more days, you need to come into our office and complete a Report of Absence form.

Board of Education business is conducted at public meetings generally held at 6:00 p.m. on the second and fourth Thursday of the month. The schedule can vary during the summer and holidays.   Agendas are posted on the District's website 72 hours in advance of each regular meeting, and 24 hours before a special meeting.

Parking on the campus is provided only in designated spaces and very limited. Parking illegally could result in a ticket from the Los Altos Police. We request parents to park on the side neighborhood streets and walk-in. Parents should not park in reserved parking spots. Cars dropping off and picking up students should use the curbed area in front of the school or the playground gate entrances on Stonehaven and Kent Drives. Cars dropping off students should not drive beyond the stop sign and crosswalk to the right of the parking lot as this is staff parking only and also serves as the CuperDoodle Preschool drop off and pick up area.

The School Site Council is an elected body made up of parents, teachers, and the principal. Each year a school plan and budget is established which sets priorities for spending school and district funds.

Teacher-Parent conferences will be held in October. If you would like to speak to a teacher at another time, please call or email for an appointment.

Montclaire has instituted a traffic safety program to ensure the safety and protection of our students during the morning arrival and afternoon pickup times. Because we want everyone to be safe, we have developed the following rules:

• The back parking lot is for staff parking only, not drop off/pick up. The only exception if drop off and pick up for CuperDoodle Preschool.
• Pull forward in the loading zone. Drop children off quickly at the curb and leave to make room for other cars. Do not leave your car unattended in the drop-off zone.
• Children must be let out of the car at the curb only, not from the middle of the parking lot. Make sure they exit on the curbside from your car.
• Do not double-park anywhere on or adjacent to campus.
• There is no stopping or loading/unloading of passengers at any time in the red curb zones.
• Do not use the handicapped parking spaces for unloading passengers.

If there is an emergency and a student needs to communicate with his/her parent during school hours, the teacher may send the student to the office to call the parent. Forgotten homework/books and arranging for after school social events are not emergencies and students will not be allowed to use the school phone for such purposes.

Montclaire welcomes all parents and guardians who are interested in volunteering.

If you were hoping to:

• Volunteer in your child's classroom (prior arrangements with teacher is necessary)
• Provide lunch time assistance or stop by to eat lunch on campus with your child
• Assist with special events
• Drive and/or chaperone field trips (Note: a valid CA Driver License and insurance coverage also required.)

We must have the following information on file for you:

• fingerprint clearance
• a negative TB test (done within the next 4 years detailed information below)
• completed Volunteer Information Agreement Authorization Form 

Note: We do REQUIRE that you sign in at the office and wear a visitor's badge before going into classrooms or to the playground. This is a California mandated requirement for the protection of the children.

More information on where to get fingerprinting and TB testing done can be found on the CUSD website.